In recent years, protected areas have come under pressure due to the budget cuts of government. As a result, national parks have had to devise strategies by means of which they are able to generate additional revenue, in order to remain competitive. Such a strategy is the introduction of public-private partnerships, which allows the private sector to operate certain lodging facilities, restaurants and shops within parks. SANParks introduced their commercialization strategy in 2000 and overall it has been a success. However, despite earning much needed revenue; there are many complaints from tourists regarding the food and beverage concessions. Research regarding travel food consumption is in its infancy and is lacking in social science research. The importance of travel dining cannot be understated as it constitutes approximately 25% of tourist expenditure and as such contributes to the economic receipts of a destination. The importance of understanding the wants and needs of tourists with reference to food and beverage will enable destinations to realise the full economic potential of the tourism experience. It has been postulated that food consumption no longer forms part of the ‘supporting’ experience but is in fact a ‘peak’ tourist experience and as such can impair the total tourist experience if tourists are not satisfied with food and beverage consumption at a destination. SANParks does not offer a wide variety of food and beverage facilities and it is of utmost importance that the facilities that are available, cater to the requirements of tourists. The purpose of this study was to construct a model for concessionaire food and beverage operations at SANParks. This was done by targeting tourists who visit SANParks and inquiring as to their preferences with regard to restaurants and shop facilities. The questionnaire for the study was posted on SANParks’ website for a period of three weeks and consisted of four sections, namely a demographic section, a section related to food service brands, a section regarding restaurants and the last section regarding shop facilities. The data was analysed to provide information needed to construct a model for concessionaire food and beverage operations in SANParks. Data provided a demographic profile of tourists to SANParks, factors analysis provided restaurant and take-away factors, ANOVA and t-tests allowed comparisons of factors with demographics and lastly structural equation modelling which provided goodness of fit indices for the proposed model. / Thesis (PhD (Tourism Management))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013

The purpose of this research is to determine the extent of public participation in waste management, willingness of the community to assist the municipality in waste management and how the officials involve the community as partners in waste management. Waste management has become a big environmental challenge in Sedibeng District Municipality due to rural- urban drift leading to population increase in the region. In cities and towns where there is population increase there is excessive generation of waste which demands new methods of waste management including public engagement and participation. This can be achieved through education and awareness campaigns in all municipality Wards to capacitate residents to minimize waste at household level. Community participation in waste collection, prevention of waste generation, recycling methods and assistance of waste management departments is one of the recommended methods and solution to waste collection challenges. The challenge in waste management is how to identify the informal sector stakeholders that can be involved in sorting of recyclable waste material that has been separated at source. Another challenge is how private sector can be approached to participate in household refuse collection to reduce backlog of un-serviced areas in the three local municipalities of Sedibeng District Municipality. The objectives of the research are: firstly, to determine the status quo of the household waste collection in the three local municipalities comprising Sedibeng District Municipality. Secondly, it is to determine the extent of backlogs emanating from the un-serviced households in Emfuleni; Midvaal and Lesedi local municipalities. Thirdly, it is to determine how local communities, informal sector and private sector can be involved in waste solutions. Fourthly, it is aimed to identify limitations; constraints and challenges that confront municipalities in engaging stakeholders in waste management solutions. The responses were from the officials of the three local municipalities, relevant supporting departments and stakeholders. Qualitative research and data was collected through questionnaires and interviews. Findings of the research indicated, among others, that: *Though sustainable household collection services are rendered in the three local municipalities, there is a backlog of 10 000 houses at Emfuleni, 270 at Midvaal and 6 000 at Lesedi local municipalities *There are no other stakeholders rendering waste management services in the region except for the operations of the landfill sites *Only 35% of householders recycle at source. The residents are prepared to participate but lack knowledge *The study revealed that in public participation, the community, Office of the Speaker, officials and Executive Mayor are the most important stakeholders to promote sustainable waste management services. They should ensure that public participation policies and strategies are implemented in the region. The study recommends, among others, that municipalities must support the community in the form of education and awareness campaigns, recycling at source, establish infrastructure for recyclable and separated goods, how to establish co-operatives and public-private-partnerships in waste management. New approaches such as composting of organic waste, proper disposal of electronic, medical and hazardous waste need to be communicated to the public. The study ends with recommendations for further research to be pursued in the following fields of study: *The role of the private sector in a municipality. *Integrated Waste Management Plans as tools to promote public participation in the Sedibeng District Municipality *Education and awareness to the public as a strategy to promote sustainable development in waste management in the Sedibeng District Municipality *The impact of waste storage containers in the prevention of illegal dumping in local municipalities *The role of environmental committees within a municipality in waste management and public participation / PhD (Public Management and Governance), North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2013

In recent years, protected areas have come under pressure due to the budget cuts of government. As a result, national parks have had to devise strategies by means of which they are able to generate additional revenue, in order to remain competitive. Such a strategy is the introduction of public-private partnerships, which allows the private sector to operate certain lodging facilities, restaurants and shops within parks. SANParks introduced their commercialization strategy in 2000 and overall it has been a success. However, despite earning much needed revenue; there are many complaints from tourists regarding the food and beverage concessions. Research regarding travel food consumption is in its infancy and is lacking in social science research. The importance of travel dining cannot be understated as it constitutes approximately 25% of tourist expenditure and as such contributes to the economic receipts of a destination. The importance of understanding the wants and needs of tourists with reference to food and beverage will enable destinations to realise the full economic potential of the tourism experience. It has been postulated that food consumption no longer forms part of the ‘supporting’ experience but is in fact a ‘peak’ tourist experience and as such can impair the total tourist experience if tourists are not satisfied with food and beverage consumption at a destination. SANParks does not offer a wide variety of food and beverage facilities and it is of utmost importance that the facilities that are available, cater to the requirements of tourists. The purpose of this study was to construct a model for concessionaire food and beverage operations at SANParks. This was done by targeting tourists who visit SANParks and inquiring as to their preferences with regard to restaurants and shop facilities. The questionnaire for the study was posted on SANParks’ website for a period of three weeks and consisted of four sections, namely a demographic section, a section related to food service brands, a section regarding restaurants and the last section regarding shop facilities. The data was analysed to provide information needed to construct a model for concessionaire food and beverage operations in SANParks. Data provided a demographic profile of tourists to SANParks, factors analysis provided restaurant and take-away factors, ANOVA and t-tests allowed comparisons of factors with demographics and lastly structural equation modelling which provided goodness of fit indices for the proposed model. / Thesis (PhD (Tourism Management))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013

During the past decade, international development discourse has shifted from a narrow focus on aid effectiveness to one of cooperation towards more effective development. A series of High Level Forums have produced a set of principles to guide this new development framework. With the steady increase of international migration, sizeable diasporas who generate a diversity of activities with development implications in their homelands have formed outside of developing countries. Recognizing their importance and potential for development, several developed country bilateral donors have engaged these emerging development actors, including the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID), and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Analysis of their policies and programs reveals a set of emerging themes and lessons learned that identify the need to challenge conventional ways of thinking about the nature of development partnerships in order to move towards more effective development.

Childhood obesity and chronic disease rates have reached epidemic proportions, but policy responses remain focused on individual health promotion rather than environmental change. This paper reveals the limitations of the current response, the Minimal Public Health (MPH) approach, due to its moral and political foundations. The foundations of the MPH rest upon the problematic liberal public/private divide. Furthermore, the MPH neglects to recognize the legal obligations and implications of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Additionally, children’s entitlements to care extend beyond the provision of basic necessities and demand high standards of nutrition and physical activity to ensure equal and just developmental outcomes. Finally, obesity and chronic disease may limit children’s ability to participate in practices of meaningful citizenship. As a result of its foundations, the MPH is inherently flawed and an alternative public health paradigm must be developed to effectively address childhood obesity and chronic disease.

Public-Private-Partnership (P3) is gaining momentum as the delivery method for the development of public infrastructure. These projects, however, are exposed to economic risks. If the private parties are not comfortable with the level of the risks, they would not participate in the project and, as a result, the infrastructure will most likely not be realized. As an incentive for participation in the P3 project, private parties are sometimes offered guarantees against unfavorable economic risks. Therefore, the valuation of these guarantees is essential for deciding whether or not to participate in the project. While previous works focused on the valuation of guarantees, the incorporation of credit risk in the value of the P3 projects and the guarantees has been neglected. The effect of credit risk can be taken into account by using the rigorous Credit Value Adjustment method (CVA). CVA is a computationally demanding method that the valuation methods currently in the literature are not capable of handling. This research offers a novel approach for the valuation of guarantees and P3 projects which is computationally superior to the existing methods. Because of this computational efficiency, CVA can be implemented to account for credit risk. For the development of this method, a continuous stochastic differential equation (SDE) is derived from the forecasted curve of an economic risk. Using the SDE, the partial differential equation (PDE) governing the value of the guarantees will be derived. Then, the PDE will be solved using Finite Difference Method (FDM). A new feature for this method is that it obtains exercise strategies for the Australian guarantees. The present work extends the literature by providing a valuation method for the cases that multiple risks affect P3 projects. It also presents an approach for the valuation of the Asian style guarantee, a contract which reimburses the private party based on the average of risk factor. Finally, a hypothetical case study illustrates the implementation of the FDM-based valuation method and CVA to obtain the value of the P3 project and the guarantees adjusted for the counterparty credit risk.

Public-Private-Partnership (P3) is gaining momentum as the delivery method for the development of public infrastructure. These projects, however, are exposed to economic risks. If the private parties are not comfortable with the level of the risks, they would not participate in the project and, as a result, the infrastructure will most likely not be realized. As an incentive for participation in the P3 project, private parties are sometimes offered guarantees against unfavorable economic risks. Therefore, the valuation of these guarantees is essential for deciding whether or not to participate in the project. While previous works focused on the valuation of guarantees, the incorporation of credit risk in the value of the P3 projects and the guarantees has been neglected. The effect of credit risk can be taken into account by using the rigorous Credit Value Adjustment method (CVA). CVA is a computationally demanding method that the valuation methods currently in the literature are not capable of handling. This research offers a novel approach for the valuation of guarantees and P3 projects which is computationally superior to the existing methods. Because of this computational efficiency, CVA can be implemented to account for credit risk. For the development of this method, a continuous stochastic differential equation (SDE) is derived from the forecasted curve of an economic risk. Using the SDE, the partial differential equation (PDE) governing the value of the guarantees will be derived. Then, the PDE will be solved using Finite Difference Method (FDM). A new feature for this method is that it obtains exercise strategies for the Australian guarantees. The present work extends the literature by providing a valuation method for the cases that multiple risks affect P3 projects. It also presents an approach for the valuation of the Asian style guarantee, a contract which reimburses the private party based on the average of risk factor. Finally, a hypothetical case study illustrates the implementation of the FDM-based valuation method and CVA to obtain the value of the P3 project and the guarantees adjusted for the counterparty credit risk.

隨著社會與環境的快速變遷，政府傳統的單一權力控制模式已經無法有效解決公共問題與滿足民眾需求，因此世界各國政府改造趨勢多以治理取代過去由上而下的統治與管理思維，並且尋求政府體制以外的非政府夥伴加入公共事務管理與公共服務產出的行列，而公私協力治理模式之運作更是廣受學界與實務工作者的關注與重視。 本研究試以臺北捷運聯合開發制度檢視我國公私協力之運作執行，透過文獻分析與深度訪談，萃取相關學者與實務工作者的參與經驗，探討我國公私部門在捷運聯合開發之協力過程中所產生之限制與問題。 研究發現我國捷運聯合開發過程中的公私夥伴關係僅建立在制式化的契約基礎上，並無法有效回應開發作業所呈現的複雜動態變化，同時合作雙方也缺乏具體的協商機制與行為共識，因此本研究建議我國政府在政策規劃與設計階段必須將各行動者的參與動機和參與目的納入考量，同時在政策執行過程中，雙方亦須透過協商互動來確保彼此的合作意願，透過資源共用和權力互賴而完善我國捷運聯合開發之公私協力治理模式。 / With the social and environment rapid change, the traditional authority has been not solved the public problem. Hence, every country toward the governance to replace the top-down and seek for non-governments to be public administrators. Therefore, the Public-Private Partnerships is popular for scholar and practice workers. This study aims to review the Taipei Mass Rapid Transit(MRT) System with the respect of Public-Private Partnerships. We will discuss the Public-Private Partnerships’ limits and problem in MRT joint developments through the references and deep interview, gaining the experience from the scholars and practices workers. This study finds out that the Public-Private Partnerships in MRT joint development process are basic on the contracts. It could not respond efficiency the complex dynamic and both sides lack negotiation systems and arrangement at the same time. Consequence, the study suggests that the country have to consider the motivation and purpose from actors in the process of policy formulation. At the same time, both side have to ensure cooperation willing through the negotiation and to achieve the perfect Public-Private Partnerships through the resource dependence and interdependence of power in the MRT joint development.

The Swedish bus and railway sectors have been recognised as important early cases of regulatory reforms that led to both vertical and horizontal disintegration as well as market-opening. This thesis investigates the origin and evolution of these reforms from 1979 to 2009, focussing on the markets for passenger services. The aim is to improve our understanding of the background, resulting nature, and consequences of these regulatory reforms. A combination of qualitative and quantitative analyses has been applied; e.g. the thesis makes use of a unique database of longitudinal industry statistics. This thesis shows that the origins of the Swedish reform process were internal and largely unrelated to any objectives of deregulated market-opening. However, a combination of the nature of the initial reforms, the behaviour of market actors, and certain key events accidentally sparked a trend towards deregulation, which has had profound effects on market structure and performance. The step-by-step evolution, in particular the introduction and expansion of competitive tendering, is shown to have had path-dependent characteristics. Swedish competitive tendering of bus and railway services has had important effects on costs and subsidies, but has also generated the problematic behaviour of strategic bidding. Included within are detailed articles which make additional contributions to relevant theories and offer normative advice concerning the design and implementation of regulatory reforms in these as well as other sectors.

Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Western Sydney, 2004. / "A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy of the University of Western Sydney, Sydney, January 2004." Includes bibliography : leaves 359 - 369.